WMS Industries, Inc. (NYSE: WMS) is a long-standing American electronic gaming and amusement company based in Waukegan, Illinois. WMS traces its roots far back as 1943 as the Williams Manufacturing Company founded by Harry E. Williams. However, the company known today as WMS Industries was formally founded in 1974 as Williams Electronics Inc.. Williams initially was a manufacturer of pinball tables. In 1964 Williams was acquired by jukebox manufacturer Seeburg Corp. and reorganized as Williams Electronics Manufacturing Division. In 1973, they branched out into the coin-operated arcade video game market with their Pong clone Paddle Ball. In 1974, William Electronics Inc was incorporated in Delaware as a wholly-owned subsdiairy of Seeburg and replaced the previous entity. In 1987, Williams changed its parent name to WMS Industries, Inc. when it made its public offering. WMS is a shortening of Williams, which it also selected for its NYSE ticker symbol. In 1988, it acquired competitor Bally/Midway. WMS entered the reel-spinning slot machine market in 1994, and in 1996, it introduced its first hit casino slot machine, Reel ‘em In, a "multi-line, multi-coin secondary bonus" video slot machine. It followed this with a number of similar games like Jackpot Party, Boom and Filthy Rich. By 2001, it introduced its Monopoly-themed series of "participation" slots. WMS Gaming holds licenses to manufacture gaming machines using the following brands, among others: Men in Black, Match Game, Hollywood Squares, Clint Eastwood, the Powerball lottery, and Green Acres. (via Wikipedia)